Star Wars: Legend of the Hylian Triforce
by DChan87
Summary: Star Wars AU: The Hyrule system is on edge. Imperial remnants are threatening to invade on the eve of Princess Zelda's coronation. In response, the New Republic sends a representative named Link to oversee the events, until things go wrong.
1. Link

_A long time ago, in a Galaxy far, far away…_

_The Galaxy is still recovering from the devastating Civil War.  
>Remnants of the Empire, scattered across the systems,<br>have resisted efforts by the New Republic  
>and the New Jedi Order to defeat them for almost 20 years.<em>

_The Princess of one of the systems targeted by the Imperial remnants,  
>the Hyrule System, is set to be crowned as<br>Crown Princess and has been worried about potential attacks,  
>particularly targeting her system's greatest treasure,<br>the TRIFORCE, an artifact with unimaginable power._

_In response, the Republic has dispatched a defense force  
>and the New Jedi Order has sent a newly-knighted Jedi<br>to protect the Princess and the Triforce. But Imperial forces  
>have a deadly weapon of their own...<em>

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

The New Republic cruiser moved out of hyperspace within the planet Hyrule's defense system. Their ships stood still as the Civil War-era Blockade Runner flew in between them. The ship was quickly hailed, and gave their credentials before they were allowed to move on. The Hylian ships moved aside and the Blockade Runner, carrying markings of the New Republic and the old Rebel Alliance, moved towards the atmosphere.

"What's the ETA?" asked the Republic co-pilot.

"ETA is a half hour into Castleton," said the pilot.

"Copy that."

The cruiser glided into the atmosphere above the large, twinkling lights of the Hylian capital city, Castleton. The city itself stretched out for kilometers, but was nowhere near becoming the planet-wide city that Coruscant had become. Wide areas of green surrounded the city and Lake Hylia, which it rested on the blue shores of.

"Castleton Spaceport, do you copy?" asked the pilot.

"_Republic Cruiser THX-1138, we read you loud and clear,_" said the spaceport operator, "What is your mission?"

"We have a guest sent by President Leia Organa-Solo herself," said the pilot, "Request permission to land."

"_Permission granted._"

The pilot nodded to his co-pilot and put the cruiser into descent.

It took some time for the cruiser to enter the atmosphere. The heat shields deployed in earnest as the heat began to affect the ship. They could feel the vibrations from the ship hitting the atmosphere shaking the entire vessel to its core. The pilot, having done this so many times he's lost count, kept the cruiser steady. It was just another routine flight and routine landing.

While that might imply something might go wrong, nothing happened. The ship entered the atmosphere cleanly and eventually the shaking stopped. The heat shields were retracted and the Blockade Runner began its descent into Castleton.

The city could be seen getting closer in the air. The metal spires of the city's centre jutted into the air, stabbing the blue sky. The city sprawl was more observable here, as they could barely see the green fields of Hyrule to the south. In fact, it was almost as if the massive Lake Hylia itself was surrounded by the city, just from the view up there. But there was one little advantage it had.

"Looks better than Coruscant," the pilot quipped. The co-pilot chuckled.

The Blockade Runner descended down to the massive spaceport on the edge of the city. The lights of the runway lit up and it followed them down and down until it reached the runway, flying several metres off the ground to the main terminal.

It landed there gracefully. The pilot killed the engines.

An attendant walked out onto the tarmac. The CR90's hatch opened and several Republic soldiers stepped out, carrying their weapons and followed by their commander. The pointed-eared attendant stepped to the side to let them past before moving back. He looked up and smiled at what he saw.

Another man, just like him, walked down the ramp towards him. This man also had the characteristic pointed ears of the Hylian species, but was younger, apparently 20 years old. His garb was simple but formal, wearing a Republic uniform with Hyrulean symbols, including the yellow three triangles of the Hyrulean crest.

"Ah, Master Link!" said the attendant. "A pleasure to see you!"

"Thank you, Minister Gaepora," said Link, "It feels wonderful to be back on Hyrule."

"Ten years," said Gaepora, "I would expect you to be happy. Well, come along now, we must be going to the Palace! The Princess will want to meet you!"

"In that case, let's go!" said Link. Minister Gaepora threw his arm around the Republic representative and led him off the tarmac.

Minister Gaepora's speeder waited outside the terminal entrance. Link's bags were loaded into the speeder, so all he had to do was get in the back, followed by Minister Gaepora. "To the Palace, please, Driver," he said. The driver nodded, started the speeder and pulled out.

The trip into the city proper was shorter than hoped. There was no traffic on the inbound lanes, but the outbound lanes were busy. That worked just fine for both of them, even if they were in no hurry to get into the city.

Banners that displayed the seal of the Hyrulean Royal Family lined the highway, attached to the light poles. Link watched these, and could only wonder what it was like in the actual city itself. "Are the festivities under way yet?" he asked.

"They start tomorrow," said Minister Gaepora, "We will have a parade and then the coronation ceremony proper. It is a shame President Organa-Solo can't be here."

"She has her own problems," said Link.

"Ah yes, how silly of me," said Minister Gaepora, "Being President must be difficult for anyone, especially the adopted daughter of Bail Organa."

"Have you been busy?" asked Link.

"Well, as Foreign Minister, not as much as you might think," said Minister Gaepora, "Perhaps only as busy as it usually is. But to go into details would bore a young man such as you. How old are you now, 20?"

"Twenty years old," said Link, running his hand through his blond hair, which was tied into a ponytail.

"Twenty years old!" said the Minister, "Can you imagine that?"

"Of course I can," said Link.

"Yes, of course you can," Minister Gaepora admitted. "So tell me, what kind of issues is President Organa-Solo dealing with?"

"For one thing, she's joined her brother as a Jedi," he said, "Or at least is trying to. She's also trying to deal with Grand Admiral Thrawn."

"Ah, him," said Minister Gaepora, "I hope we do not see him any time soon."

"Neither do I," said Link.

The city of Castleton began to rise from the horizon. Now Link felt tiny compared to the steel and crystal skyscrapers that seemed to go up and up and up. And they were still many kilometers away from the Castleton City Centre. The last of the suburbs merged into the city limits and progressively became denser as they moved inward. The old parts of the city, surrounded by the ancient walls, would soon be upon them.

That came sooner than Link expected. He'd always remembered the walls being farther in than they were. The walls reached high into the air, cutting the outer city off from the city centre, but there were massive holes in the wall that allowed the speeder traffic to move through easily. To call this part a "wall" would be rather silly indeed.

Once inside, the ancient city centre began to take shape. The Olde City Castle Town, was the name for the first district they came into. Much of it kept the same appearance that it had during the ancient days of Olde Hyrule. Cobblestone streets still wound their way through the city, and medieval-looking buildings still lined these streets. The term "medieval" is a Human Galactic Basic term for Hyrule's old buildings.

Link felt a sense of nostalgia riding through these streets. He used to play with his friends all these time in the streets and alleys of the Olde City's working-class neighborhoods. The kids played games like DekuBall or "Rebellion vs. Empire" (Link always played on the side of the Alliance).

"Brings back memories," he said.

"I'm sure it does," said Minister Gaepora. "Did you ever use your… talents?"

"I probably did, but… I didn't know how to use them," he laughed.

The densely-populated Olde City gave way to the New City. Here is where they were surrounded by steel and glass they saw while approaching the city. Link craned and nearly strained his neck looking up at the kilometers-high buildings that house Hyrule's great financial and business institutions, which were widely regarded in the Republics, both new and old.

The steel and glass jungle was soon replaced with the Capitol Sector, the seats of government of the planet Hyrule. This was more open than the Olde City and Financial District, build several hundred years before the Battle of Yavin. There were more trees and plants here, and the stone buildings looked as if they could have come from Naboo, not Coruscant. The cobblestone streets of the Olde City returned here. Hyrule's pride was on display here.

The speeder turned and approached a large castle on the edge of the Sector. The castle was adorned with banners displaying the Hylian seal—an eagle with the same three-triangle symbol as seen on Link's clothing—in multiple colors. The castle's stone towers also reached proudly into the sky, but nowhere near as highly as the buildings of the Financial District. "This is it!" said Minister Gaepora, "Hyrule Castle itself!"

Link smiled and fingered his belt nervously.

The speeder pulled up to and stopped in front of the grand staircase leading up to the entrance. The stone steps, which were bare right now, would have a red carpet laid out for their guests tomorrow. An attendant opened the speeder door and let Link and Minister Gaepora out.

A woman, bearing the symbol of the Royal Family and the mysterious Sheikah, came down the steps toward them. She was young, but older than Link, perhaps in her thirties. "Minister Gaepora," she said, "It is a pleasure to see you again."

"Ah, Impa," said Minister Gaepora, "I take it things have been well?"

"Yes, and busy," said Impa. "Is he the—"

"My name's Link," he said with a bow, "President Organa-Solo sent me herself."

"Ah, I see," said Impa. "You're just in time. Come, follow me, Her Majesty is waiting."

Link nodded and followed Impa up the steps and into the castle.

The entrance to the castle was buzzing with activity. Workers were putting the finishing touches on the decorations to the massive entrance of the castle. More banners and flags unfurled, and Hyrulean wreaths were placed all around. It was summer, why would they have Yule wreaths now?

But Link did not have time to focus on them. Impa quickly led him through the castle halls, to an elevator and up to the 5th floor before he could ask where he was going. Was she in a hurry or something?

"This is the Princess's new office," said Impa. "Come, enter." Link nodded and walked in.

"Your Majesty," he said with a bow, "I am President Leia Organa-Solo's representative, and—" He looked up and once he saw her face, her beauty stunned him.

She wore simple clothes, but that was only because she was working. But her beautiful eyes, and by extension, visage, caught him off guard. Brown hair cascaded down her back, complete with a petite figure.

Princess Zelda stared at him with a confused expression, until she chuckled. "No need to stare," she said.

"Oh, m-my apologies!" said Link. He cleared his throat to her laughing. "I have been sent by President Organa-Solo to make sure tomorrows festivities go by smoothly."

"Ah, I see," she said, standing up and walking over to him. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Link."

"It is a pleasure to meet you too, Princess Zelda," he said as she shook his hand. "I can sense the Force with you," he said out of the blue.

"As can I," she said, "Not surprising, given how our species is in tune with the Force."

As a whole, Hylians tend to be more in tune with the Force than most other species. This of course, is not universal, as a species is made up of individuals. Thus it would be impossible for every single Hylian on the planet to be sensitive to the Force. But as a general rule, Hylians appear to have more Force-sensing abilities than a lot of other species, even humans, who made up the majority of the Old Jedi Order.

The Hylians themselves have several myths as to why they are more in tune with the Force than other species. One of them is that they were given this ability by their Goddesses, Farore, Din and Nayru. Of course, this only gave them an air of arrogance that made much of the galaxy suspicious of them.

It also made them a target during the Dark Times of the Empire. After Order 66 wiped out much of the Jedi Order, the forces of Emperor Palpatine—himself a Sith Lord by the name of Darth Sidious—oppressed the Hylians as if they were all latent Jedi. Who knows how many Hylians died in those Dark Times?

Perhaps that's why—no, not "perhaps". That's _exactly _why—many Hylians joined the Rebel Alliance. Just like the Mon Calamari, it was either suffer at the hands of the Empire's racism and oppression, or fight back.

While there were no Hylians as regarded as say, Luke Skywalker and his friend Han Solo and sister Leia Organa, their contributions were nonetheless vital to the Rebellion, and hence why President Organa-Solo sent Link to personally represent her at the Princess's coronation ceremony.

"It must be an immense honor to represent President Organa," Princess Zelda said as they walked down the halls of the castle.

"It is," said Link, "I am trying to contain my excitement."

"You do not look or sound excited," she said.

"You're better than I thought," said Link. "To be honest, getting here from Coruscant took longer than I expected because of bad space traffic and I'm exhausted."

"Oh, that's a shame," she said. "But in all seriousness, does President Organa-Solo really take these Imperial threats seriously?"

"She knows better than most how serious Imperial threats can be," said Link, "Even if the Empire is severely weakened."

"Ah yes, my mistake," said Zelda, "My father nearly had a heart attack when Alderaan was destroyed. But, I am thankful the Republic has dispatched the fleet."

"I will inform President Organa-Solo," said Link.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

It was not until later that night when he retired to his temporary bedroom that the mission hit him. He'd met the Princess herself and was staying in her castle! He'd never been anywhere like this, not growing up in the Olde City or living on Coruscant. It was as if these riches were so far out of reach that he never thought anything like this was possible. He was also afraid—afraid of messing up and making a fool of himself in front of the Princess of his homeworld.

He chastised himself for thinking these thoughts. Fear and whatever the thoughts he had about staying in the castle were a distraction. He splashed the cool water on his face and walked out of the restroom, over to the bed. There, he sat down on his knees in front of it.

Taking in a sharp breath, he closed his eyes and began his meditation session.

Princess Zelda, who had walked past his room, noticed this when she opened his door (after knocking). She promptly closed the door to let him have his privacy. But she also had a knowing smile on her lips.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Zelda invited Link to dinner that night, and he eagerly accepted. It would be at 7 o'clock and according to the Princess, he did not have to get formally dressed. But, propriety took precedent and he dressed with a combination of formality and casual as he could.

"Presenting, the representative of President Organa-Solo, Link Greenwood!" Link stepped into the large dining room where Princess Zelda was already seated with members of the Royal Cabinet and the Mayor of Castleton. Minister Gaepora was already there.

Link tugged nervously on his cape when he saw the Princess in her strapless dress and her hair elegantly rolled up in a bun. _Oh, dear,_ he thought, trying to hide the blush on his face, _Calm down Link, remember what your master taught you_. He nervously fingered the cylinder on his left hip until he sat down and took a few deep breaths.

"Welcome, Link," said Princess Zelda, "I assume your time back on Hyrule has been pleasant?"

"It has, Your Majesty," he replied, "It brings back a lot of memories for me."

"Well, naturally," said Minister Gaepora. "But, I do hope that things go well, although I am prepared for the worst. General Owlan told me he has been tracking an Imperial fleet for the past week. So far, they do not appear to be anywhere near our system, but I am thankful to the President for sending reinforcements."

"What would the Imperials want with us?" asked Minister of the Interior Shad.

"The Triforce," said Zelda, "If the Imperials get their hands on it, they could wish total control over the Galaxy once again."

"Do not worry," said Link, "The President is determined NOT to let this happen."

"Well, some people say the Triforce is just a legend," said Zelda, "I remember the old history books saying that Jedi teachers used the Triforce's parts of Courage, Wisdom and Power as ways of explaining the Force and the ideals of the Jedi Order itself."

"I know Grand Master Skywalker thought that way," said Link.

"But we have not had a Hylian Jedi in 60 years," said Minister Gaepora, "And said Jedi was killed in Order 66."

"Yes, but with this new Jedi Order, I can expect more to continue the great tradition of Hylian Jedi," said Zelda, "I'm sure my father would be proud of another."

"By the way, where is your father?" asked Link, "I'm afraid I was not informed."

"He is on Corellia," said Zelda, "Visiting Captain Solo and General Calrissian. My brother Daphnes is visiting Naboo, and you are aware that my older brother Pipit represents Hyrule in the Galactic Senate, correct?"

"I forgot," said Link, "It was Senator Pipit himself who suggested me."

"I suppose my brother knows talent when he sees it," said Zelda. "Now then, gentlemen, shall we toast to a successful day tomorrow?" The men and women at the table raised their glasses in the air and waited for Zelda. "To a successful and trouble-free coronation ceremony, and to peace and prosperity in the Galaxy. May the Force be with us all!"

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

End chapter

So how was that?

I find this fandom's lack of quality Star Wars AUs/crossovers disturbing. So, since they say if you can't find something you like, make one yourself, that's what I did! I'm still working out some kinks, but other than that, I want this to be like a Zelda game if it was set in the Star Wars universe, hence all the references to Leia, Han and Luke. What I want this to be is either a Star Wars movie with Legend of Zelda characters, a Legend of Zelda game set in the Star Wars universe, or a combination of both (which I suspect it will become).

I'm also taking recommendations! Of course, it's my story and I am planning it out myself, but I'm more than happy to take suggestions. Just let me know in your review! And if you have issues with this one chapter, here's this: The point of this chapter was to set up the plot and conflict, that's it. Other than that, I hope you enjoy this fic!


	2. Invasion

In the depths of space, the Imperial fleet waited. A small armada of four Star Destroyers, carrying numerous Stormtroopers and Battle Droids—created because of the Empire's fleeting resources—anticipated the order that would unleash them upon the unsuspecting world of Hyrule. They had numerical and strategic advantage; the Hyruleans would not know what hit them.

The leader of this invasion force, Commodore Sio Jansen, looked out from the bridge of the Star Destroyer _Iron Fist_. An unoriginal moniker for a Star Destroyer, but one that did its job, nonetheless.

Getting back to the narration, Commodore Jansen looked out over his small fleet. Four Star Destroyers was not the number he wanted. In the old days, this was more than enough to put fear into the hearts of whatever star system the Empire wanted to teach a lesson. Even the Death Star was enough.

But alas, those days were gone and the Empire barely held on to the small bits of territory they had left. That's why risky incursions deep into Republic-controlled space were a massive risk. He'd already determined that the Hyruleans had detected his small fleet. The element of surprise had been gone ever since it was announced the young and naïve Princess Zelda would be named first-in-line for the Throne in the event of the death of her father.

And he was off-world and would be for a while. That complicated manners.

But if they could force the remaining forces to surrender and/or obtain the Triforce, then things could work out.

He scoffed. He hardly believe in the Force, and now they were going after an artifact that many were sure did not exist.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his CommLink beeping. Unhappy, he answered anyway. "Jansen, here," he said.

"_Commodore, Darth al-Ghul wants to talk to you_," said the operator on the other end.

Jansen sighed unhappily. "Is there any other news you want to tell me?"

"_Our mole has reported that everything is in place on his end_," said the operator, "_The Republic and Hyrulean defenses will be dealt with_."

He hoped that meant what he thought it meant. But now it was time for them to get ready. "Ready the fleet," he said, "We attack when given the signal."

"_Yes, sir_!"

"And… send Lord al-Ghul to the bridge," said Jansen.

"_Yes, sir!_" The commlink went dead and Jansen hung up.

It did not take long for the object of his disdain to arrive. Dressed in the black robes of the Sith, the Dark Lord waltzed in to the shared disdain of the other members of the crew. But they said nothing as the Sith Lord, whose face was predominantly obscured by his hood, only showing glimpses of grey skin and white lips, walked up to Commodore Jansen.

"Our fleet is in position," the Commodore said calmly, "We will attack on my order."

"Excellent," the Dark Lord said in a sensuous and sinister voice, "My Master will be pleased."

"Of course," said Jansen, his clean-shaven lip rolling over the bottom in nervousness, "Will you accompany the Stormtroopers and battle droids?"

"Of course I will," al-Ghul said as he walked up the center catwalk of the bridge to look out over the green and blue planet in front of them, the subtle rage and hatred infecting his voice. "I cannot wait to punish that planet for their crimes."

"Yes, well… do be sure to keep it clean," said Jansen.

Al-Ghul almost flew into a rage before he remembered that in reality, Jansen outranked _him_. "Prepare for surface attack," Jansen said, and just to reiterate, "When we are given the signal, we attack. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Link looked up and down himself in the mirror at the splendid clothing he wore. His green vest, combined with light-tanned slacks and dark boots, made him stand out as a representative of the Republic. He would feel pride in himself, but it was against his teachings. Sure, a little pride in his accomplishments were alright, but other than that…

The knocking on his door reminded him that he had somewhere to be. "Coming!" he said, grabbing the metallic cylinder that lay on his bed. The attendant waited for him to emerge from his room and don his cape before leaving the hall to take care of the other guests.

Link walked confidently down the halls, never once looking at the other guests. Outside, he could hear the sound of the crowd gathering in Palace Square for the coronation ceremony.

Technically, it was not a true coronation, but more of an inauguration. Zelda was not going to become Queen any time soon, just named King Harkinian II's first successor, and her brothers would be second and third, respectively. But King Harkinian decided to call it a coronation ceremony on the grounds that it was technically that—a coronation.

Link felt it was rather silly, but seeing Zelda be given such an honor was still something he wanted to see.

He came across a painting that made him stop in his tracks. He looked it up and down and for the first time since he had returned, felt a sense of inadequacy. The painting was of a past Hero of Hyrule, clad in a green tunic, stocking cap and carrying a lightsaber proudly. The determined look on the Hero's face was enough to make him turn away and head towards the chapel where Zelda would be crowned.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

The chapel was filled with the best and brightest of Hyrule and the surrounding systems—Gerudo, Zora, Goron and Kokiri from Hyrule, the humans from Corellia and Republic ambassadors, and even Mon Calamari—for this most celebrated occasion. They all dressed in their most formal clothing, if they did wear anything, for Gorons and Zora rarely wore clothes, and thus were allowed to go as they were.

They'd made the trip from their respective planets, which were under the rule of the Hyrulean Monarchy, and to turn them away from the proceedings would be insulting.

Link stood off to the side of the altar while the priests sat waiting for the Princess to come down the aisle. He could feel the nervousness in the pit of his stomach. He chastised himself again for letting himself get nervous. Fear was the wrong path. He had to control his fear. He took a number of deep breaths and closed his eyes, settling into an impromptu meditation session that would keep him calm.

The blaring fanfare broke him out of his meditation, but he still managed to gain control of his nervousness. The Princess was walking down the aisle, dressed in an elegant, yet simple battle dress, flanked by handmaidens and ladies-in-waiting. This time, she did not stun him with her beauty, instead with her poise and grace walking down the aisle.

The guests all stood as she walked confidently down the aisle, ready to embrace her destiny. She walked up the steps and to the altar in front of the priest.

Link could see Impa off to the side, hiding in the shadows and waiting for the chance to protect the princess she hoped would not come.

Zelda kneeled in front of the priest. He took the crown from his helper and walked up to her. "In the name of the Great Goddesses Din, Farore and Nayru, I name thee Zelda, Crown Princess and heir apparent to the throne of Hyrule." He placed the crown upon her head and she turned to the rest of the guests, who were standing and applauding her.

So she held up her hands to ask them to cease. "My friends, people of Hyrule," she said elegantly and regally, "Today is a most joyous occasion. We have had years of peace since the end of the Galactic Civil War, and our system is as strong as it ever was before the days of Imperial tyranny!"

The crowd applauded. "That is why I am proud to take such an awesome responsibility as heir apparent of Hyrule. I apologize if this is not a proper coronation ceremony, but it was my father's plan. Once he has an idea, it's usually hard for him to have his mind change.

"I am also happy to see representatives of the various species of our world and system, as well as representatives of neighboring systems and the Republic. I would also like to thank our special guest, Link Greenwood, himself born and raised here on Hyrule, and sent here by President Leia Organa-Solo herself to oversee the festivities!" Link sheepishly acknowledged the crowd's applause.

"He's a humble young man, your applause is not needed," said Princess Zelda. "Now then, let us celebrate!" The crowd cheered and Princess Zelda walked down the aisle to the waiting carriage that would take her though the crowd to greet her soon-to-be-subjects.

"A bit much for a Princess coronation," Impa said to herself. Link would have answered if he could hear her.

Instead, he followed the Princess out into open. He was met with the roar of the crowd and Zelda, still sitting in her floating carriage, had yet to move. She took one look at him and beckoned him into the carriage. Nervous at first, he felt something push him forward and he soon found himself in the carriage. "I thought the Republic's representative would want the best seat," she said.

"Thank you very much," he said. "But, won't this—"

"I can always put out a press release telling otherwise," she said. He chuckled. She was more cunning than he thought.

The crowds seemed to be a hundred deep in some places. They all waved the flag of Hyrule, cheering and clamoring for a glimpse of their future ruler. Admittedly, Link was not used to this, he'd been on Coruscant for so long he got used to representative democracy. Monarchy was… a little outdated for him. But this was not his place and now was not the time to express his opinions. Now his focus was to make sure no assassin emerged from the massive crowd to attack the Princess. If they did, well…

Of course, he also looked up at the sky to make sure there was no threat of attack. He could not see anything in blue expanse, so he was relieved to see that.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

"SIR! The ceremony has ended, the mole is going to lower the planet's defenses."

"Excellent," said Commodore Jansen, "Launch the invasion force. Once we're given the signal, they are to land on the planet's surface."

"Yes, sir!"

Commodore Jansen turned to Darth al-Ghul, who was licking his white lips hungrily. "Finally!" he said, rubbing his white gloved hands together and running out of the bridge. Jansen sighed, happy to finally get that nuisance out of the way.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

It was business as usual at Castleton's military base, the centre of the city's defense ring. The idea that the Imperial forces would attack on a day when everyone is out and watching was, in their minds, preposterous. Never mind that President Organa-Solo sent someone to personally oversee the festivities, they thought it wasn't even worth fretting about.

Well…

"CAPTAIN!" Lt. Rusl Ordon shouted, "The surveillance systems are going down!"

"That's the biggest load of bantha fo—" Captain Majora froze when he saw the screen of Lt. Ordon's monitor screen. It was blank. "GET GENERAL RAVIO ON THE LINE!"

"SIR, COMMUNICATIONS ARE JAMMED!"

"WHAT!?"

"I can't get anything!"

"Is there anything that works around here?"

"I can't get any troop info," said another one.

"What is going on!?" Capt. Majora breathed.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

The coronation party had moved to the Castle. Most of the crowd outside had returned home, and the party was now in the main ballroom. Said ballroom was filled with VIP guests, including the representatives of the various species of the Hyrule System, and Republic representatives.

Link stood off to the side, sipping some water and watching the Princess socialize. He had nothing to do, he'd already met a lot of the guests, and because he felt he could not bring much to the conversation, took himself out of it. It didn't matter, if it helped contain his nervousness, it was alright.

But a funny feeling began to arise in his chest. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he sensed something wrong. As if guided by the Force, he turned and looked out the window. What he saw horrified him.

"ATTENTION EVERYONE!" he shouted, getting their attention, "TIE FIGHTERS ARE COMING THIS WAY!" He pointed right as the Imperial fighters sped past the ballroom windows, their horrible roar announcing their presence.

"EVERYONE EVACUATE!" a guard shouted, "Where are the—my commlink's down!" It didn't matter. The panicked guests ran towards the exits. Princess Zelda tried in vain to get them to calm down, but it was no use.

"Princess, come with me!" Impa shouted, grabbing the Princess's wrist.

"Princess, wait!" Link called as he ran to catch the two of them.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

The attack had begun.

The TIE Fighters strafed the streets of Castleton and the lingering revelers. They ran, screaming as the fighters sped down the streets, destroying everything in their path. Scores of people fell down, trying to avoid the Imperial terrorism. But so many—too many—fell where they stood, victims once again of Imperial tyranny.

Landing craft dispatched the AT-ATs, bringing scores of Stormtroopers and Battle Droids into the city. They walked about, smashing buildings and shooting them up. They knelt down, releasing their payloads into the streets. It had been two decades since Imperial forces were in Castleton. And now, they had returned.

The defense forces who'd been able to mobilize fought valiantly. Republic soldiers, who'd just been stationed on Hyrule, fought alongside them. But the Imperial Stormtroopers, who, despite their reputation as being unable to his the broad side of the Death Star, wiped the streets with the lost and confused Hyrulean soldiers. Not even the Republic soldiers were enough.

Several X-Wings and Speeders resembling the ones from the Battle of Hoth managed to take off to confront the TIE Fighters and AT-ATs. Laser blasts whizzed about, coming from both the AT-ATs and the fighters that had taken off to confront them.

But the AT-ATs had the massive advantage of communication and coordination. The X-Wings and Speeders essentially flew blind with their communications still down.

There were fighters who were able to radio their fellow pilots. Those ones put up a bigger fight. A trio of X-Wings that had this advantage flew up to an AT-AT, letting off short volleys that distracted the AT-AT. They came around for another run at the AT-AT, and firing a proton torpedo, brought the giant walker down.

The soldiers on the ground cheered at this. There was still hope! Using hand signals and old radios, the Hyrulean defense forces rallied.

Laser blasts whizzed about as Stormtroopers and Battle Droids emerged from their AT-ATs. There was more than enough to conquer the city, but damn if the defense forces weren't going to put up a fight. They were Hyrulean soldiers! They'd had peace for 20 years! They still remembered the tyranny the Imperials inflicted on them.

NO MORE!

"FOR HYRULE!" a commander shouted. His men concentrated their fire on the Stormtroopers leaving the AT-AT. The Stormtroopers were cut down before they could get off the AT-AT.

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Back at the Castle, Impa led Princess Zelda through the emergency tunnels. Built long before the Clone Wars, their purpose was to get the Royal Family out of the castle in the case of emergency. You can probably bet that it's been used quite a few times in the days since then, especially when they needed to escape the Imperials.

It was being put to good use once again.

But the loud noise from outside still penetrated the tunnels. And it made Zelda nervous. But Impa laid a hand on her charge's shoulder. "Be not afraid," she said, "We will get through this."

"Yes, you're right, Impa," said Zelda. She continued on with Impa by her side.

Linki followed in hot pursuit. It was his duty as Republic representative to watch over the Princess, and by the Force, he was going to do it. He listened for their footfalls and followed as closely as possible. Their shadows were long and close enough for him to see that he didn't worry about falling too far behind.

At last, Impa and Zelda emerged from the tunnels and in the backstreets of Castleton. Impa went first to see if the coast was clear. She poked her head out of the alley. She looked right and left. Nothing. "All clear, Princess," she said. Zelda sighed in relief. She ran up to Impa and waited for the Sheikah to give the signal.

"Let's go!"

Zelda nodded and followed Impa out of the alley. The two ran down the streets and doors, which were locked and shuttered. The sound of air raid sirens filled the air and mixed with the blaster fire in the distance. The smell of burning buildings permeated the air.

Impa was cautious, sensing for anything nearby. She looked back and saw nothing. But then she turned around and stopped in her tracks.

A number of Imperial Battle Droids had been lying in wait for them. They emerged from their hiding spots and surrounded the Princess and her bodyguard. A few Stormtroopers also surrounded them, pointing their blasters at them.

Their commander walked up in between them, smirking arrogantly. "Well, well, well," he said, "What a surprised. Princess Zelda just walking into our hands? This has gone better than I expected! Are you ready to discuss the terms of your surrender?"

"Never," said Zelda.

The Imperial officer sighed. "Oh, dear," he said, "Look around you. Your people won't come to save you, your forces are being routed, and you're surrounded! Is there anything that can save you now?"

"Excuse me!"

The Stormtroopers and Battle Droids turned towards the new voice. "Link!" Zelda called out. Impa saw her chance and grabbed the Princess, jumping out of the circle and over towards Link.

"There's a speeder not too far from here that a Republic officer is driving," said Link. "I'll hold them off."

"But, how did you—"

"May the Force be with you, young one," said Impa.

"May the Force be with you, too," said Link. Zelda remembered Link didn't need to answer that. Instead, she did not watch as Link walked towards the Stormtroopers and Battle Droids, dodging their shots with ease. "Leave now," he said calmly, but firmly. "I do not want unnecessary bloodshed."

"Not until we get the Princess, fool!" the officer spat.

Link sighed. Why did they want to do it the hard way? He reached up and removed his cape. It would be a burden. Then he reached for his belt and grabbed the cylindrical tool. The Imperial officer's eyes widened as Link activated his weapon. The snap-hiss of his green lightsaber blade was all the officer needed to reach the correct conclusion.

Link pointed the lightsaber at the Stormtroopers and held it up again, readying himself. "Are you afraid, Commander?" he asked.

"All Troopers and Droids," the officer said with a shaky voice, "Focus your fire on—_gulp_—on the Jedi!"

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

End chapter

Dun, dun, DUUUUN! CLIFFHANGER!

I apologize if this chapter felt rushed or anything, big battle sequences are not my strongest suit. That being said, this was a lot of fun to write and I REALLY wanted to get to the end where I could reveal that yes, Link is a Jedi.

I'm hoping that once this story starts to hit its stride, it won't be too rushed. I'm genuinely trying here, that's why I decided to make this fic. I always put my best into my stories, so if you think it's lazy, I apologize.

There was another name for Darth al-Ghul, Darth Shaytan, but I thought Darth al-Ghul sounds a heck of a lot better than Shaytan. Both are Arabic, al-Ghul meaning "Ghoul" and "Shaytan" meaning, well, I think you get the idea.

Also, I'm imagining Link as right-handed, but if you want to imagine him as left-handed, go ahead.

Either way, I hope you enjoyed this, but I apologize if you felt it was rushed. I will try to improve in the coming chapters and once it slows down, I'll try and give you the best story I can. Thanks!


	3. Regroup

"All Troopers and Droids," the officer said with a shaky voice, "Focus your fire on—_gulp_—on the Jedi!"

Had he not been a Jedi, Link would have been proud of the fear that he put into the Imperial officer. But Link stayed calm and stoic, staring down the frightened Imperial officer. His mission was to protect the Princess and ensure her escape to safety.

"We'll come back for you, Link," Impa said while leading Princess Zelda away from the fray, "Once again, may the Force be with you!"

Link silently thanked her, but stood still against the Stormtroopers and droids.

"What are you waiting for!? SHOOT HIM!" the Imperial officer shouted. The Stormtroopers and droids unleashed a barrage of blaster fire at him.

But Link deflected the blasts with his lightsaber and Jedi reflexes. Sparks exploded where the laser blasts hit, which Link angled away from the buildings. The laser blasts came in fast, but Link moved out of the way while keeping his lightsaber blade upright.

"GET HIM!" the officer shouted.

Link stopped, but kept deflecting the laser blasts as the battle droids rushed forward. This was going to be difficult. But he ran forward, swinging the lightsaber while deflecting the blasts and cut the lead droid to pieces. He pivoted and swung at the next, cutting it down to pieces, too. More droids came. He spun in his spot, taking more droids down and letting out a mighty cry.

More droids and blaster shots came. Link deflected the blaster shots onto the droids and simultaneously cut the next droid down. He thrust the tip of his blade into the next one, pulled it out and stabbed a droid that had snuck up behind him. He drew it out and cut down two more droids in front of him.

He ran forward, deflecting more blaster fire. Several more droids arrived, but Link cut them down, too. He turned his attention to the Stormtroopers. They ran up to him, blasters a-blazin'. He blocked the shots with his lightsaber, directing them away from the Stormtroopers. When they got close enough, he took a big swing and cut their blasters in half, then pushed them away using the Force.

More Stormtroopers ran up to him. He kept deflecting their blasts and jumped out of the way, using the Force as his springs. The Stormtroopers, who had obviously never fought a Jedi before, stood stunned and unable to comprehend what was going on. Link Force pushed the Stormtroopers away again, grabbing their blasters from their hands in the process.

"Why did I have to deal with the Jedi?" the Imperial officer sighed.

Link would have sympathized with him… if he was not obviously arrogant and sadistic, at least that's what he could gather from a mind reading using the Force. But Link quickly realized that arrogance came from experience.

"CALM DOWN!" he shouted, still thinking rationally despite his fear, "There is only one of him! Surround and DESTROY HIM!"

Link was scared. The Stormtroopers moved to surround him. In the heat of the moment, he jumped backwards, away from the gathering Stormtroopers. They still let loose a barrage of blaster fire, forcing Link to not only block the blaster fire, but jump out of the way of the blasts. The blaster shots, which were not carefully deflected, exploded on impact with the surrounding buildings.

"CEASE FIRE!" The Stormtroopers stopped shooting at Link. "What, did you honestly think I was going to be shaking in my boots and let you run all over my Stormtroopers and battle droids?" the Imperial officer taunted Link, "You Jedi are not as invincible as you think! TAKE AIM!"

Link raised his lightsaber, ready to do what he could. "FI—"

The white of a speeder engine interrupted the proceedings and blaster fire hitting the Stormtroopers saved Link. _Link, get in!_ He heard through the Force. He immediately deactivated his lightsaber and jumped into the waiting landspeeder, closing the door and sitting up as Impa jammed down on the accelerator.

"The Princess was in that speeder!" the Imperial officer shouted. More blaster fire erupted, hitting the speeder, but it was not enough. "The Princess is escaping in a pink SoroSuub landspeeder," he said into his comm, "After her!"

Link was still catching his breath in the back seat while Impa maneuvered through the streets of Castleton. "Thanks, Impa," he said.

"You're welcome," she replied. Princess Zelda turned around in her seat, extending her hand to Link. "Apologies it took us so long."

"Thanks anyway," said Link. "Impa, how did you—"

"I'm wise in the ways of the Force," said Impa, "But I can't discuss that right now." She pointed backwards at a pair of Imperial speeder bikes that were in hot pursuit. "Hold on, I need to get to the freeway."

"What for?" he asked.

"The safety of the Princess is of utmost importance," said Impa. She banked the speeder on a hard right turn, finding the freeway with ease. "Link, use this!" she said, handing the blaster back to Link.

"So uncivilized," he said as he took it.

"You got any better ideas, kid?" Impa asked.

"Right, sorry!" He carefully lowered the window of the speeder and stuck his arm out. It was difficult to aim, but with the help of the Force, he was able to target one of the speeder bikes.

_PEW, PEW, PEW!_ Three shots was all Link needed to bring down the first speeder bike, on the passenger side of the speeder. He shifted to the left-hand side of the speeder and pointed his blaster at the Imperial scout and speeder bike. Several shots from the bike made him duck, but he came back out and let off three more shots. These ones, however, missed.

"I should've known," Impa said. "Here, Zelda—there's charges in the glove box!"

"Glove box!?" Link asked. Zelda pulled them out and handed one to Impa. She rolled down the window and despite the high speeds, let one go. It exploded under the speeder bike, sending the rider flying. "How did you—"

"Don't ask, kid," said Impa.

"Impa, is there a secure channel in this speeder?" asked Zelda.

"Unfortunately, no," said Impa, "It seems all the military's communications have been knocked out save for old radios and holograms, but the Imperials are no doubt listening in."

"So what are we going to do!?" Link asked.

"Where we're going, we _have_ that secure channel," said Impa.

"What about the AT-ATs?" asked Zelda.

"At the rate they walk?" Impa asked, "Nah, we'll outrun them easily."

"Actually, there is something that can catch us," said Link. Impa looked in her side mirror and sighed.

"TIE Fighter," she said sardonically, "Just what I asked for."

The TIE Fighter let off a burst of laser fire. The road exploded in several spots beside the speeder, forcing Impa to swerve out of the way, almost flinging the Princess and Jedi into the windows. "BUCKLE UP!" she screamed.

The TIE Fighter let off another burst. Impa sensed where the blasts were going and maneuvered out of the way to avoid them. The road exploded harmlessly behind them. But the TIE Fighter was still hot on their tail. It wasn't what Impa wanted to see. And Link knew they had no weapons that could stop that TIE Fighter!

Another roar could be heard coming from the south. An X-Wing, with S-foils open, sped right towards them, guns a-blazin'. The TIE Fighter's wing broke off, and it barreled out of control, crashing on the side of the road behind them.

Link sighed as the X-Wing positioned itself next to the speeder. Link could see the pilot, who was with the New Republic, saluting them. Zelda flashed a light at him, using light-code to tell him to back off. The pilot heeded her order and the X-Wing peeled away.

"So where are we going?" asked Link.

"The old Temple of the Goddess," said Impa, "It's hidden and safe from Imperial forces."

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Commodore Jansen was frustrated. "First, the Republic's representative is a Jedi," he said, "Then, you let him decimate your droids and forces. Then you let the Princess _escape_!?"

The Stormtrooper commander from earlier stood tall and firm, but Jansen could see the man shaking ever-so-subtly. "I'm sorry, Commodore!" he said, "It will not—"

"It already happened!" Commodore Jansen interrupted angrily, "The only reason I'm not letting Lord al-Ghul Force Choke you is because you would have defeated him if given the chance, a strategy I must commend, by the way."

"Thank you, sir!"

"You're no fun," Lord al-Ghul hissed.

"I am not supposed to be fun," said Commodore Jansen.

"My Master will be—"

"Displeased, but now we have a beachhead on this planet," said Commodore Jansen, "I'm sure he will make an exception."

"Don't interrupt me!"

"And don't second-guess me unless your Master allows you to!" Commodore Jansen replied, getting in Lord al-Ghul's hood, "Go ahead, try to Force Choke me! Your Master will be most displeased!" Lord al-Ghul growled and looked away. "For now, we will have to process the Hyrulean prisoners. The ones who escaped will likely regroup and with the Princess on the run, she will no doubt be a symbol of resistance. And with the government out of the city and the King and his sons off-planet, that makes our job even harder. Oh, I wish Grand Admiral Thrawn was still alive."

"I heard he was cloned," said the Stormtrooper commander.

"That clone is dead," said Commodore Jansen. "But no matter. Commander, begin your search for the Princess. Lord al-Ghul, you will need to find the Triforce."

"I can probably find the Princess AND the Triforce," al-Ghul said with a sinister smile.

"Then I want multiple teams looking for both," said Commodore Jansen, "We only have a short window until Hyrulean and New Republic forces regroup and counterattack. Now GET MOVING!"

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

The Temple of the Goddess was 100 klicks outside of the Castleton city limits in a heavily forested rural area. The trio had to maneuver through the thick woods in the speeder until the stone façade of the Temple, complete with a smashed statue of the Goddess Hylia—of whom the Temple was built in honor of—resting on top of it.

Link looked in awe as he got out of the speeder, wondering just what the statue might have looked like in the past. It did not look as if it was destroyed during the Galactic Civil War—the damage and decay looked decades, maybe even centuries old. The moss and vegetation only seemed to prove this hypothesis, as did the pieces lifted from it and deposited nearby.

But the fact that Impa and Zelda came here only meant that the inside would be different.

Indeed it was. The inside was, despite being housed in crumbling ruins, very well kept-up. The paint looked fresh, it was dusted and the furniture was purely something only royalty could afford.

"This is where the Royal Family goes in the case of attack," Impa said, walking up to a computer console.

"No one except a select few are allowed to know about it," said Zelda, "We should be safe here."

"What about the secure channel?" asked Link.

"It's available here," said Impa.

"What are you going to do?" he asked again.

"Send a distress signal to the Republic," said Zelda, "And a warning to my father and brothers to stay off the planet."

"And what about a counterattack?" asked Link.

"I will inform the military that I am still alive via this channel," she said, "They will know what to do. Despite what it looks like, I am not that good when it comes to military strategy. Daphnes is the strategist."

"We also have enough supplies to last us for several months if we need it," said Impa, "The Temple was last restocked just two weeks ago."

"Well, I'm not surprised," said Link. "Will I be able to contact President Organa-Solo and Grandmaster Skywalker through that channel?"

"This is only to Hyrulean government and military," said Impa, "I doubt it."

"He can tell Pipit," said Zelda, "He can relay your message."

"Thank you very much," said Link.

It was in that moment that the events of the previous two days caught up to him. They'd felt like such a blur that he didn't know much of what was going on. He let out a deep sigh and sat down on the nearest chair, rubbing his face and composing himself as best he could. He was still breathing heavily, and he was still sweaty from the skirmish with the Stormtroopers earlier. No doubt he did not smell very good. He probably needed a clothes change, too.

But there were other questions he had to ask. "Impa, are you a Jedi, too?" he asked.

"How did you know?" asked Zelda.

"She reached out to me with the Force," he replied.

"No, I am not a Jedi," said Impa, "I am a Sheikah. Now, I know what you are going to ask, so let me remind you that there are other Force users besides the Jedi and Sith."

"I believe you," said Link. "Are there any more Sheikah left?"

"Sadly, I doubt it," said Impa, "We were especially targeted by the Empire because of our Force skills. I believe there's only a handful of us left. We've guarded the Royal Family from the shadows for centuries. But now it looks like we're nearly extinct."

Though she did not show it, Link sensed Impa's devastation. "You're not good at hiding your feelings," he said.

"And neither are you," she replied, "You were scared."

"I was not!"

"You're a terrible liar, too," said Impa.

"I'm new at this," Link said, sheepishly looking away from the glowering Sheikah, blushing brightly enough to catch Zelda's attention.

"You admitted it," said Impa, "That's good. With experience, that fear and nervousness will go away. But you can't let it control you."

"That's what Grand Master Skywalker told me," said Link.

"I have the utmost respect for him," said Impa, "But you need it drilled into your head—"

"Impa, could you please go outside and see if there are any Imperial fighters nearby?" Zelda interrupted.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Impa said before departing.

Zelda sat down near Link, rubbing her face and showing the stress that Link was already feeling. "My apologies for Impa," she said, "But she can be rather strict. When I was a little girl, she was cross with me for chasing after my father's pet womp rats."

Link should not have found it funny, but he did. "Thank you, Princess," he said, "I needed to laugh."

"So did I," she said. And now the full gravitas of the situation hit the both of them like a falling Rancor. "I just saw my planet's defenses fall in a matter of minutes. This is the worst day of my life."

To Link, what sounded like a typical adolescent complaint sounded… reasonable. "I'm sorry, Princess," he said, "I don't know what could have gone wrong."

"A lot went wrong," she said, "There was no one thing. But…" She rubbed her face and shuddered. Link could see her shaking and trying not to get emotional. But it was hard for anyone in this situation.

Link had always seen royalty from a distance. They always looked cold and distant. But here, he was sitting next to the Crown Princess of his homeworld, and she was showing Hylian emotion. It wasn't hard for him to feel empathy and sympathy for her. "I'm so, so sorry," he said.

"Stop apologizing," she said, "It's not your fault."

"Maybe we should discuss something _other _than the invasion," he said, "And the botched coronation."

"Botched!?" she laughed, "It went off perfectly, if you ask me! Are you saying it was botched because the party was cut short?"

"It was botched for me!" he replied, "I barely knew anyone!"

"For a Jedi, you sure get scared a lot!" said Zelda, "I thought fear was the path to the Dark Side!"

"Grand Master Skywalker said fear is a normal emotion," said Link, "It was how we faced our fears that prevented us from going to the Dark Side."

"Of course," said Zelda, "Grand Master Skywalker learned his lesson from the past. By the way, did I hear you taunting the Imperial commander?"

"Well, he never said it was—"

"It was a yes or no question, Greenwood."

"Yes, I did. He was scared, too."

"A Jedi using fear as a weapon," she said, "I don't know what to think about that."

"I'm sorry," he said, "I just learned differently from your average Jedi."

"I can see that," said Zelda, "I'm not sure if fear is a good weapon for a Jedi."

"Are you afraid?" he asked.

"Not of you," she replied, "But other than that, I am terrified."

"Why did you be so—"

"Honest? You're a Jedi, you could read my thoughts if you wanted to."

"I'm glad you're not afraid of me," he said, "I'll admit I was nervous around you, but—"

"Make one wrong move towards Her Highness and I'll throw you out of this Temple, laserbrain." Link jumped in his seat as Impa walked towards the two of them with an annoyed expression on her face.

"I wasn't doing a-anything, I was just getting to know—heh, heh, heh!"

"Now I KNOW you're scared of Impa," Zelda muttered.

"And you should be," said Impa, "Unlike Jedi, I CAN use fear as a weapon and not turn to the Dark Side."

"Nerf herder," Link muttered.

"What was that!?" Impa snapped.

"NOTHING! NOTHING!"

"What do we do now, Impa?" asked Zelda.

"Now?" asked Impa, "We go on a quest."

"A QUEST!?" Link shouted, "Are you insane!? We need to—"

"Find the Triforce!" said Impa, "Did you forget why the Empire attacked Hyrule? We cannot let them have the Triforce!"

"Oh, right," said Link, "But how—"

"It is a legend, but there is a way to obtain the Triforce," said Impa, "You have to earn it."

"Earn it?"

"Courage, Wisdom, Power," said Impa, "Those are the three parts of the Triforce. If you show all of them, you will be rewarded with it. And to earn them, you will have to go on a quest to prove you have earned them."

"So when do we start?" asked Link.

"Technically, now," said Impa, "But we need to rest. All three of us will leave after breakfast tomorrow morning."

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

End chapter

So how was that? We finally get an idea of Link's abilities as a Jedi and learn how Impa is a Force user. I was also a little worried about the story getting rushed, especially with how fast it was getting, that's why I put in the massive amount of dialogue at the end, just to slow things down and maybe fit in some character development.

Also, I needed humor. After the chaos of the last couple of chapters, it's only natural to have to balance it out with some laughs. It can't be too serious.

I also need an excu—REASON for Link to go on a silly quest when the Imperials are attacking. Naturally, with the Triforce being the MacGuffin, that was only natural.

Either way, I really hope you enjoyed this!


End file.
